Corn-sheller



(No Model.) 4 Sh-eetsSheet 1. J. R. HAMILTON.

I CORN SHELLER.

No. 281,868. Patented July 24, 1883.

(No Model. 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. R. HAMILTON.

. CORN SHELLER. No. 281,868. Patented July 24, 1888.

Qlfy

(No Model'.) 8 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

R. HAMILTON.

' CORN SHELLER.

No. 281,868. Patented July 24,1883.

' 5am O/W' I (a N. PETERS. Plwwmhu n mn Wumugxm D4 C.

, A designates the frame of my improved corn- NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JONATHAN R. HAMILTON, OF KINGSTON, MINNESOTA.

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,868, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed March 7, 1883.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JONATHAN R. HAMIL- 'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingston, in the county of Meeker and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Shellers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and usefullimprovements in corn-shellers, and it has especial reference to that class which is known as reciprocating shellers, and it consists in the peculiar arrangement and construc tion of the several devices, as more fully hereinafter pointed out, and specifically stated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which like letters of reference indicate corresponding features, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved corn-sheller, the shorter arm of the plunger and a portion of the hand-lever being broken off; Fig. 2, avertical sectional view of the same, showing more clearly the construction and the relative arrangement of the operating parts; Fig. 2, a sectional view, showing a portion of the cover and one of the cutters; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view of the discharging-tube, showing in plan elevation the annuli employed for the purpose of supporting the pressure-springs. Figs. 4, 5, 6 represent, respectively, a perspective view of the cutters which are used for shelling dried corn; Fig. 7, an inverted perspective view of the cutter and scraper employed when it is desired to shell green corn; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view of the plunger-cup and a portion of the plunger; Fig. 9, a detail inverted view of an annulus for assisting in holding the spring-guides; Fig. 10, a detail plan view of a similar annulus; Fig. 11, a plan view of the discharging-tube, showing the radial guides for guiding the cutters, and Fig. 12 a plan view of a portion of the cover.

sheller, the same consisting of a series of uprights or legs provided with stationary sides A, and with hinged sides B, the upper end of said frame being provided with a suitable metallic cover, 0, having a central aperture, 0,

(No model.)

and with an inclined bottom or cornslide, D, for a purpose to be hereinafter mentioned.

Located upon and secured to the cover 0 is an annulus, D, having a short sleeve, E, extending from its upper surface. In recesses a, formed in the upper surface of said sleeve, at suitable distances apart, are fitted a series of inclined depending elastic guides, E, their upper ends being turned outwardly to adapt them to fit into said recesses.

The letter F indicates an annulus having corresponding recesses, a, to those just alluded to, and adapted to fit over the flange E and down upon the annulus D, whereby the guides are secured against displacement.

The cover 0 is provided with a series of radiating slots extending from the aperture 0, and in said slots are loosely fitted the upper ends, G, of the cutters F F F", said ends having projecting pins or studs G, which rest each in depressions e in the upper surface of the said cover. These cutters each consist of an upright extension, G, and a short horizontal extension, H, the horizontal extension terminating at its upper end in an A-shaped point, beveled from the vertical side of the extension back at an angle of forty-five degrees. Depending from these latter extensions are long lugs or shanks H, which are adapted to fit within radiating slots formed between spokes II, extending horizontally from the upper end of the cob-discharging tube I, by which the several cutters are held in their proper relativeposition in order to bring the points of the cutters in a circular row. Each of said cutters may be adjusted radially at its upper end by simply placing the pin G, which holds the same in a pair of the notches, farther from and nearer to the center of the cover 0, so that the faces or vertical parts of the cutters may be adjusted parallel to the plane of the cob; andeach cutter is provided with an adj ustingscrew, h, which is adapted to bear against the outer side of each of the depending elastic guides E, by which means the cutters are adjusted radially in order to act upon ears of different sizes or different lengths of kernels.

In order to remove from the cob any kernels of corn which may not have been removed by the points of the cutters, I provide every IOC alternating cutter with a segmental scraper, designates a trip adjustably secured, by f 2 f", which scrapers collectivelyform abroken means of a slot formed therein and a pin or circle. I also provide the inner vertical porbolt, 0, to the operating-lever, or to a clip tion of each of my cutters (indicated by the which connects said lever and the plunger '00- 7o letter F) with a slot, F, which allows room gether. One end of this trip is beveled off at for the respective ends of the scrapers f to an angle, and is adapted to come in contact rest in. I also place the horizontal portion f with the upper end of the detent N when the of the cutters F in a horizontal plane above plunger cup has reached its lowest point, that occupied by the scrapers f thus serving whereby the contact between the detent and 7 5 J 'o the same purpose as the slots in the cutters the sleeve of the cup is broken and the plun- F, above referred to. The object of this arger allowed to descend independently of and rangement is to give space for the scrapers, below the cup, for a purpose which will presthe projecting ends of the scrapers f 2 f being ently appear. of such length as to bind against each other When it is desired to shell green corn, the 5 when the extensions H are placed between cutters above referred to are removed and a the radial spokes H", unless the ends of the sufficient number of the character indicated in scrapers be located one above another. WVhen .Fig. 7 are substituted. These shellers consist the cutters F F F are in their proper posiof a segmental blade, P, having its upper edge tion in the machine, the slot F receives the ad- (inverted in the drawings) beveled upwardly, 8 5 2o jacent end of the scrapers f-, and the horiasshown at p, and of a correspondingly-shaped zontal portionf" of the cutter F sets over the scraper, having a series of teeth or serrations opposite end of the scraper f By this means which are adapted to scrape or remove from =it will be observed that the points of the cutthe cob the roots of the kernels, said scrapers ters are brought sufficiently close together to having longitudinally-slotted shanks, the ver- 0 z 5 act on the kernels, and the said scrapers f 2 f tical and horizontal portions of the scraperoverlap one another, as seen in Fig. 2, and frame and the lug which projects from the form a broken circle, as above mentioned. horizontal portion being in this instance con- I indicates a cob-discharge tube, preferably structed as above described. constructed of cast-iron, which is bolted or Q designates a set-screw and washer, by 5 ;0 otherwise secured to the inclined bottom D, which the scraper is adjusted radially to suit said tube being provided intermediate its ends different-sized ears, or to the ear, whether its with a flange, 1, having a series of depressions smaller or larger end is down. in its periphery. The operation of my invention will be read- K indicates an annulus formed in halves, ily understood. from the foregoing, and may be 5 which are adapted to be bolted together, and described as follows: The operating-handle beare fitted around the flcnge I, said annulus ing sufficiently elevated to raise the cup M being provided with depressions correspondabove the annulus F a proper distance, an ear ing to those above alluded to, by which means is dropped into the machine and arrested by aseriesofpressure-springs, K, are heldagainst coming in contact with the guides E or the .o the shanks H, thereby serving to hold the cutpoints of the cutters. The plunger is then deters to their work. pressed, the cup engaging and following the L indicates a connecting-bar,which is flexiupper end of the car until it is arrested by bly connected to the leg or other convenient the convergent ends of the guides, by which part of the frame of the machine, and extends time the trip 0 engages the upper end of the 1 10 .5 upwardly a suitable distance. The upper end detent N and breaks the connection between of said connecting-bar is pivoted to an opersaid detent and the sleeve of the cup, thus ating hand-lever, L, the latter being connectpermitting the plunger to continue its descent, ed with a plunger, M, consisting of a two-arm the slot in the sleeve permitting the plungers bar or rod, the longer of which extends vertiindependent movement, as above described, 11 5 LO cally through the top and bottom of the mawhereby the cob is forced through the dischine, which serve as guides therefor, and the charge-tube I. It will be observed that durshorter arm of which is adapted to force the ing the descent of the car it passes through car through the machine, being provided with the circle formed by the cutters, the latter rea plunger-cup, M. This cup consists of aholmoving the grains therefrom, which fall upon ;5 low lower end and a slotted neck, and is movthe inclined bottom, whence they are disably secured to the shorter arm of the plunger charged into a suitable receptacle. When the by means of a pin which passes through its hand-lever is raised, so that the operation just slot and an aperture in said arm, said slot described may be repeated, the weight of the serving to allow the cup and plunger to have cup causes it to drop to its normal position, I2 5 '0 an independent movement. as seen in Figs. 2 and 8.

N indicates a detent pivoted to the shorter Having thus fully described my invention, arm of the plunger, the lower end of which is what I claim as new, and desire to secure by adapted to bear upon the upper end of the cup Letters Patent, is

sleeve, and the spring n is employed for the l. The combination, in a corn-sheller, of a I 0 5 purpose of maintaining normally contact bevertically-operating plunger provided with a tween the said sleeve and detent. forcing cup movably secured thereto, and

means for automatically releasing it, with a series of flexible feedingguides, and adjustable cutters having grain-removin g points and seg- 4. I11 a corn-shel1er, the combination, with the plunger provided with the slotted pressure-cup movably secured thereto, of the en- 20 gaging-detent, the operating-lever, and the releasing-trip, substantially as shown and de scribed.

5. In a corn-sheller, the green-corn cutter and scraper, consisting of a segmental blade 25 and an adjustable slotted scraper, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN R. HAMILTON.

\Vitnesses:

T. E. BYRNEs, M. MOORE. 

